What Are DC-Blocking Capacitors, And Why Are They Important?

Electronic devices power our world and allow us to communicate. In all applications requiring signal integrity and accurate power amplification, blocking capacitors are used to provide clean waveforms and correctly amplified voltages.

What Systems Rely on Stable Waveforms?

Generally, waveform systems can be broadly defined into power-related alternating current (AC) and communications-related radio frequency (RF) applications. Both employ waveforms to provide power or information. All of these devices require a blocking capacitor to ensure the waveform conforms to the desired specifications. Some standard electronic devices requiring blocking capacitors are:

• Audio amplifiers
• RF systems such as radio, broadcast television, and microwave communications devices
• Power converters and amplifiers, AC-DC, DC-AC, and DC-DC
• Communications connectors
• Sensor interfaces
• RF filters